I ended up using a dual bank with my ACR. I found that if I had the charger only hooked up to the starter battery, in the "maintenance mode" the house batteries were never combined thus not maintaining them. So now when it charges it combines them both, house and starting, and maintains all the batteries.

I ended up using a dual bank with my ACR. I found that if I had the charger only hooked up to the starter battery, in the "maintenance mode" the house batteries were never combined thus not maintaining them. So now when it charges it combines them both, house and starting, and maintains all the batteries.

It depends on the maintenance voltage of the charger and the minimum voltage the ACR combines. Mine stays combined even in maintenance mode.

To clarify, if using a single bank charger with an acr/switch (ala blue sea add-a-battery), you'd hook the positive end of the charger to the same post on the battery combiner switch that you have your positive from the alternator hooked to, and NOT hooked directly to one or the other battery, right?

To clarify, if using a single bank charger with an acr/switch (ala blue sea add-a-battery), you'd hook the positive end of the charger to the same post on the battery combiner switch that you have your positive from the alternator hooked to, and NOT hooked directly to one or the other battery, right?

Just hook it to one of the batteries. After several hours check to see that the light is still on, on the ACR. If the light is still on then they are staying combined during the maintenance cycle. You are then good to go.

I guess that makes sense. You'd want to put the charger on your "deader" battery, then, right? I know some acrs (again blue seas in particular) won't recombine if the voltage of one of the batteries drops below a certain threshold (11.7v IIRC).

well without me installing a switch I think I will use both banks and then when I charge I will disconnect the ground on the ACR. This should keep it for combining the two banks and I won't have to worry about anything since the ACR won't be on...